February 6th - This Day In History

Treaties are signed between France and the newly formed United States of America. The U.S. was in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, and the treaties insured that France would support the newly formed government.

The Treaty of Alliance insured that France would support the U.S. if the British attacked.

The TreatyCredit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection of Amity and Commerce set guidelines for trade between France and the U.S., giving each other most favored nation status and setting rules for rights of ships traveling back and forth between the two countries.

Massachusetts became the 6th state to ratify the new Constitution of the United States on February 6, 1788. The Constitution became official on June 21, 1788 when New Hampshire ratified the new document.

February 6, 1933

The 20th Amendment is declared adopted on February 6, 1933. The 36th state needed for ratification had done so on January 23, 1933. All the rest of the states ratified the amendment by April 26, 1933.

The 20th Amendment shortened the time before the President and other elected officials would be sworn in after an election, lessening the time of the “Lame Duck” effect. It also set provisions for what would happen if the President-elect was to die before being sworn in.

President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt was the target of an un-successful assassination attempt on February 15, 1933, right after this went into effect, if it had been successful, his Vice-President would have become President.

February 6, 1944

Dr John Rock was a highly respected doctor in Boston, and specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. He was Catholic and believed in children and family, and wanted to help women have them. He started a infertility clinic in 1926. He read about invitro fertilization with rabbits that Dr Gregory Pincus was doing, and wondered if it could be done with humans. He hired Miriam Menkin, a highly skilled lab technician who had worked for Dr. Pincus to see if they could accomplish the process for women. Finally, in February 1944, after a lot of failures, they were able to get the eggs to fertilize.

They did repeat the success several more times over several months. However, Menkin had to move away, and Dr Rock’s interests drifted to other related areas, and they did no further work in the invitro process.

February 6, 1952

Elizabeth II becomes the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms when heCredit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_II_greets_NASA_GSFC_employees,_May_8,_2007_edit.jpgr father, King George VI dies from coronary thrombosis in his sleep. His health had been deteriorating in the years before his death.

Queen Elizabeth has ruled for 59 years so far, the second longest of any British monarch. Queen Victoria ruled for 63 years and 7 months, the longest of any British monarch and the longest for any female monarch through history.

February 6, 1998

The Washington National Airport is renamed the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when President Bill Clinton signs legislation authorizing the change. The name change was to honor former President Reagan on his 87th birthday. Many were against the name changing, citing the fact that there is a Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and the airport was already named after President Washington.